


this constant sting they call love

by bisexualklausmikaelson



Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 03:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17236877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualklausmikaelson/pseuds/bisexualklausmikaelson
Summary: “Nik’s going to be single once he wakes up, I’d rather you go for him,” Kol’s tone is almost matter-of-fact, almost too obvious that he’s playing wing-man for his favourite big brother.Klaus is the one he takes after the most. With the way he talks, the way he behaves. It makes everything even harder for Hayley. Since, no matter which way she looks, there is a shadow of Klaus following her every move. Whether she sees it in her daughter’s eyes, or in Kol’s laughter, the original hybrid is always there, lurking.





	this constant sting they call love

**Author's Note:**

> au after s3/ what if Kol is the only one of his siblings who isn’t locked away and has to travel around with Hayley and Hope while they try to save his family…or that koley roadtrip au I promised I’d write)

― 

It’s mid-september when she first starts to wear her hair in braids.

Kol notices the little things,

―notices how she counts the stars when she’s bored, notices how she sleeps with a picture of Elijah under her pillow, notices the way her lips form around his name like sin.

“Kol,” Hayley slowly says, mid-sleep. “Drive slower, you’ll wake up Hope,” she scolds him, almost all the time. And he’d describe it as a sign of her affection for him, if it weren’t for her scowl.

He sighs, takes a quick look at the speed-limit before deciding on his next move.

“If I drive any slower my darling,” he whispers softly, tightening his grip around the wheel. “Little Hope’s going to get her first encounter with the Florida police,” Kol smirks, as he refers to the sleeping baby in the backseat.

“If that happens, then you can just eat them,” Hayley says, while offering him an eye roll. “Like how you did those teenage campers we saw earlier,” she scoffs, bitterly.

It’s an odd adventure for the two of them. Kol is the original sibling that Hayley is least acquainted with. But thankfully, he has a long list of witch allies they’ve been going through in order to find some sort of cure to save their family.

One of the many hurdles they’ve faced though is feeding. Surely, Hayley insisted they stick to blood bags, since she’s still not ready to explain the whole vampire thing to Hope.

Of course, Kol prefers fresh human blood, so every now and then, he stops the car and takes off to eat someone.

“You’re still upset about that?” He wonders, sounding just a tad surprised.

There’s a slight pause before the she-wolf decides to speak again. “They were just kids,” she slowly says, and there’s a slight crack in her voice.

It was a combination of things. Being a mother had made her soft, reminded her of something she learned from Marcel about protecting kids.

But, Kol wasn’t one for morals or integrity. With Davina gone, he didn’t have to think about being good, noble, or kind. He could be himself, be the bloodthirsty monster, the killer, the soulless sociopath.

“You know, I never saw the appeal in having children,” he spits, thinking about those annoying but delicious teenagers he had for breakfast. “They’re nothing but ungrateful mongrels,” Kol adds on.

Hayley chuckles. “You’ll change your mind once you have kids―” immediate regret rushes through her as she realizes the deep cut of her words. Elijah had once told her about his desire to have a family, and Rebekah made it clear how fond she was of the idea. Klaus had grown to love the concept as well, but, Hayley had no idea how Kol felt about it.

“I sure am glad my brother’s the only one who was cursed with that blasted loophole,” he laughs it off though, because really, Kol Mikaelson could never see himself as a father.

The she-wolf turns back to look at Hope, to remind herself of what’s missing.

“When do you think we’ll be able to wake him up?” she asks, in a raspy tone.

“Who? Nik?” Kol guesses, and Hayley offers him a nod. “Possibly not for a few years, with the pace we’ve been progressing. Lately it seems all we’ve encountered are dead ends,” he honestly tells her.

Hayley looks at him warily as she finally sees the dark circles under his eyes. His hands are tense on the wheel, but Kol never lets her drive, says he won’t let her touch his car but really, he just doesn’t trust anyone at this point.

Especially not some random woman his brother knocked up.

“Klaus is going to miss out everything,” Hayley whispers. “Hope’s only getting older and older, learning more and more―”

“Do you think that my bastard of a brother considered any of this when he took Hope away from you for six bloody months?” he mentions, as his words hurt her, hit below the belt.

The girl feels her stomach fall in to her gut.

“I forgave him for that,” She reminds him (reminds herself in an attempt to tame her anger).

Kol simply rolls his eyes. “You’re pathetic,” he tells her.

“And you’re disgraceful,” she fights back. “Out of all the Mikaelson siblings, why did I have to get stuck with you?” Hayley exclaims, dramatically.

The car suddenly slows down, as Kol makes his way towards the gas station nearby.

He takes another look at the mother wolf and decides that she’s all types of annoying, and too many shades of cute.

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Kol snickers. “Most women would give up an arm and a leg to be stuck with me,” he comments as he can immediately sense her glare.

She looks him up and down, and mistakenly admires his smile. “I can’t imagine why,” Hayley laughs.

“Well, I am a man of many talents, sweetheart,” he offers as he knows how weak in the knees she gets with the petty nicknames Klaus had for her.

They always managed to make her squirm.

“You’re already flirting with me?” She questions, raising a brow.

“I’ve gotta move on from the lovely little witch somehow,” he shrugs. “And who better to pursue than an exquisite little wolf?” his voice is bitter to no end, with the haunting memory of Davina’s presence dictating his every feeling.

Hayley is well aware of the fact that he claims he’s done mourning the deceased. But, she still hears him whisper the young witch’s name in his sleep.

“Gross,” she says instead. “You’re Hope’s uncle,” Hayley reminds him.

“Just your type,” Kol chimes in, thinking himself clever. However, his charm and wit is met with nothing but a distant glare. “Oh c’mon, you have to admit…you and ‘Lijah…it’s a bit strange,” he tries to defend.

She clenches a hand around the photograph of Elijah she always keeps in her pocket. “That’s none of your business,” She frowns.

“Nik’s going to be single once he wakes up, I’d rather you go for him,” Kol’s tone is almost matter-of-fact, almost too obvious that he’s playing wing-man for his favourite big brother.

Klaus is the one he takes after the most. With the way he talks, the way he behaves. It makes everything even harder for Hayley. Since, no matter which way she looks, there is a shadow of Klaus following her every move. Whether she sees it in her daughter’s eyes, or in Kol’s laughter, the original hybrid is always there, lurking.

“He loves you after all,” he mentions, breaking her train of thought.

“Klaus doesn’t love me,” Hayley sneered.

“He does, in his own way,” Kol insists. “Perhaps it’s not love in the traditional sense, not something romantic. It’s more than that,” his every word catches her by surprise.

It’s as if Kol had been watching the two of them interact this entire time. Like it’s a game of some sort, of two wolves wanting, wishing, and waiting for the other one to make the first move.

“Nik longs for you,” he remembers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

He shifts, restlessly.

“He cares for you, cherishes you in ways that are unexplainable with mere words. I can see it…in the way he looks at you, in the way you look at him―”

“I love Elijah,” Hayley finally interrupts, with fury in her eyes. “I always have. Nothing’s going to change that,” she cries and it sounds like a promise, like heartbreak.

Kol takes his eyes off the road for nothing but a second, just so he can catch a glimpse of her features and study them further.

He can’t describe what he sees.

“I know,” he realized. “Elijah’s the noble one, he’ll always treasure you, no matter which choice you make. Whether you pick him or Nik,” Kol advises, casting another side glance her way.

Hayley ignores the small tear rolling down her cheek.

Indecisive women, Kol thinks, just their type.

“Perhaps, it’s okay to love them both,” he releases.

It’s something the youngest brother is all too familiar with. Kol has seen Elijah and Klaus fight over numerous women, and each and every time they ended up choosing each other. But, this time, things are different.

Hayley is dark, musky and cold. And yet, her heart remains fickle.

“You’re absolutely insane,” she declares, as she sits back and crosses her arms around her chest.

“I suppose so,” he agrees, because really, there was no point in arguing with Hayley Marshall.

Kol blows out a breath, and it makes his bangs splay crazily across forehead. She doesn’t mean to stare at him, but he really is quite adorable at times.

(―like when he sings to the radio, rocks Hope to sleep, looks up at the stars).

“Get some sleep,” he orders. “Tomorrow morning we’ll be in the presence of a very good witch friend of mine who could help us restore our family,” Kol announced, in a hopeful tone.

She wants to say more, but she’s so damned tired. Hayley can feel her eyelids drooping down as yawn after yawn escaped her lips.

“Okay,” she slurred, admitting defeat. “Goodnight Kol,” the she-wolf quietly said, turning to her side.

“Goodnight, little wolf,” he joked, and he can already hear her hissing in the background.

Hayley falls asleep without another word.

―


End file.
